Last evening I was one of a select few to get a sneak preview of the completed Barbarian Days film. Principal photography of the film was done at the 2008 Howard Days; the stars of the film are Rusty Burke as the “Godfather of Howard Days,” Mark Finn as the “Guest of Honor,” Bill Cavalier as the “Boss Dog of REHupa,” Chris Gruber as the “Boxing Stories Expert” and a host of other recognizable Howard Days attendees. But my ugly mug wasn’t among them — I was attending my wife’s family reunion in Mexico and couldn’t make it that year – it is the only Howard Days I’ve missed in the past ten years. For some background on the film, check out this previous blog post. The crew of filmmakers include Damian Horan, director; Grant Gish, writer and executive producer; Scott Thomas Towler, producer; Andrew Pettit co-producer; Adam Watson, cinematographer and Michael Koerbel, cinematographer. Here is the film’s synopsis from the Barbarian Days website:

Synopsis

Most people spend their whole lives searching for what makes them happy. Few find it. Even fewer get the chance to share it with friends.

Every year hundreds of fans flock to tiny Cross Plains, Texas, the home of Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian. Nearly 80 years after his death by suicide, Howard, an outsider himself, has attracted his own merry band of self-admitted outcast followers.

We followed the Big 4, the top two Howard scholars from the old guard and two up and comers, through their world of fandom at “Howard Days,” the annual celebration of Howard’s life and works.

Despite the cheery air of the celebratory weekend, drama and emotions often run high as Howard fans take their pastime very seriously, often leading to heated arguments and in some cases, brawls. In the end, however, the fans are all gathered for the same reason, to share their passion for Howard and for one weekend a year leave their ordinary lives behind.

The cinematography, editing, lighting, sound, music, etc. are all first rate; this is a very professional film. The director and the rest of the crew deserve a big hat tip from all Howard fans for putting thousands of man hours into the production and editing of this movie – the easy part is the filming, but the real work begins after the last scene is shot. This being an independent film, it has taken a few years to get the funds together to finish it. However, the film crew has worked hard to get it completed and ready for viewing.

The film itself covers a lot of ground, with extensive interviews with the four “stars” and many other Howard Heads. Each has their own story  to tell about their connection to Howard and what he means to them and the filmmakers allow ample time for them to make their point. Transitions from scene to scene and topic to topic are very smooth, which follows a logical chronology to the story they are telling.

Obviously, Barbarian Days was produced for a broad market, so some of the content might be common knowledge to the regular suspects who attend Howard Days. But those people are already on the Howard bandwagon – the hope for the film is it may bring new converts to the Texan fictioneer’s fold.

In places Howard Heads do look like and sound a bit like geeks (heck, some of us are), but overall the film portrays the fans and Howard in a favorable light – something many us were worried about. Indeed, the filmmakers take the topic seriously and treat everyone with dignity, especially the Cross Plains townspeople. A segment on the December 2005 fires is included and highlights the devastation the town suffered and the big comeback the citizens made from the near destruction of the town. Inter-cut with the film are scenes from the two Schwarzenegger Conan movies and The Whole Wide World, but they are not just thrown in, but rather interwoven the topic being discussed. Bottom line, if you’ve never been to Howard Days, the film gives you a good feel for what it is like. All of the activities and events are shown from Friday morning’s coffee and doughnuts at the Pavilion through the annual barbecue at the Caddo Peak Ranch. The Barbarian Festival gets some nice coverage as well.

The only scene I would take issue with is an animated one. The animated sequence was used to illustrate the much discussed 2007 confrontation at Howard Days between Chris Gruber and Leo Grin. Since no one would talk about it on camera, not even the instigator (Chris), the filmmakers took some artistic license and used Leo’s own account from the pages of the August 2007 issue of The Cimmerian in Brian Leno’s trip report, “Down the Rabbit Hole.” Situations like this are like a falling out among family members – everyone moves on afterward and what happened stays in the family. Such is the case here.

One thing thing that was particularly compelling is Indy’s voice over statement at the end of the film. He gets the last word with his statement “Robert E. Howard saved my life.”

But Lee Breakiron pops up after the credits and gets upstaged by a group of nearby mooing cows, which renders him speechless.

All in all, it is a great film that keeps you entertained and invested in the story — I recommend it to Howard fans and non-believers as well.

As to where you can view the film, it has made the short list at several festivals at which the filmmakers are hoping to premiere it, but they have not yet been granted full acceptance. If and when they are accepted, the word will come down from them and I will be sure and get the names and dates of the pertinent festival(s) up on this blog.

Other than screening at festivals, which will definitely be a good forum to attract potential distributors, the filmmakers also plan on distributing DVD’s on as a backup plan. The DVD’s will only be available once they’ve either played the film at least one festival, or once they’ve heard back from all festivals regarding their submission status. They would also love to be able to allow for paid streaming of the film online at some point. So keep your fingers crossed and wish these gents much success in their efforts to bring Barbarian Days to the masses.

Due to the passage of time, there are precious few people who are still around that can make the statement that is the title of this post. Norris Chambers is one of those few.

Norris Roe Chambers was born September 6, 1917 to Dr. Solomon Roe Chambers and Martha Jane Williams Chambers on the old Rushing farm about six miles southeast of Cross Cut. His older brother, Thomas Spence Chambers was 20 years older than Norris and his sister, Effie Deoma Chambers was 18 years older. Thomas’ oldest son, Clifton Harold, was only about four months older than his uncle Norris.

Dr. Chambers quit practicing medicine and opened a drug store in Cross Cut where the family lived for several years. It was during this period of time that the Howard lived in Cross cut and Dr. Howard became close friends with Dr. Chambers. The drug store burned and he rebuilt the two story building, but decided to try his hand at farming instead of operating the store. In 1918 the family moved to Galveston County and operated a small vegetable farm. A shipping company in Hitchcock bought and shipped all the vegetables that Dr. Chambers could raise. Tom Chambers and his family also moved to the area and operated a small vegetable farm.

It was in this locale that Norris and Clifton spent their early years. In 1924 the vegetable shipping business closed and Dr. Chambers moved back to the Cross Cut area on the Rushing place. Tom followed soon and opened a service station and garage in Cross Cut. It was after this return to the family homestead that young Norris met Howard for the first time.

Norris and Clifton graduated from the Cross Cut High School in 1935. Norris attended Brantley Draughon College in Fort Worth and later worked for W. Lee O’Daniel Flour Co. He later did oil field work, farmed and operated a country radio repair shop. He also worked for awhile on the WPA.

In 1939 Norris married Ella Sudderth and they lived with his parents on the Rushing farm. When the war preparedness program started in 1940, he worked on the construction of Camp Bowie, an army camp in Brownwood. In 1941 Norris got a job in Civil Service at Duncan Field in San Antonio as a clerk-typist. Because of his electronic experience, he was able to transfer to the shops as an Aircraft Electrician. In 1942 Norris and Ella’s first child was born, Ella Diane. In 1943 they moved to Grand Prairie where he worked for North American Aviation as an aircraft electrician. Their second daughter, Patricia, was born in 1944.

In early 1945 Norris and Clifton joined the U. S. Maritime Service and were sent to Catalina Island, California for basic training. After completion of basic training, Norris was sent to Hoffman Island, New York for training as a ship’s radio operator and further training as a gunner. Norris passed the requirements for radio operator and was issued an FCC radio telegraph license. However, before shipping, overseas the war ended in August and he returned to Cross Cut.

Norris worked for Otis Elevator in Dallas for awhile and opened a radio repair shop in Grand Prairie. He later sold this shop and opened one in Brownwood. In 1947 he accepted a job at Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft in Fort Worth in electronics. Ella and Norris built a house near the plant where they still live. Another daughter, Veronica, was born in 1955 and a son, Roger in 1957 Norris retired from the bomber plant in 1974 and operated a printing shop for several years.

Norris will be turning 94 next month and wife Ella will be 90 in December. I think you’ll agree that the pair have led quite a long and fulfilling life together. Here’s hoping there are many more pleasant years in their future.

I thought it would be interesting and informative to have Norris share his thoughts on Howard with us, so I contacted Norris and he was agreeable to answering some questions about his friend Robert:

TGR: When and where did you meet Robert E. Howard for the first time?

Norris: I spent the first six years of my life in Galveston County and the Howards visited us there. But I can’t say that I really remember Robert during that time.

TGR: What were your first impressions of him?

Norris: We visited the Howards soon after moving to the Cross Cut area in 1924. They lived in the same house in Cross Plains that is now the Robert E. Howard House Museum. I don’t remember any impression, one way or the other, at that time. Three or four years later, when I became interested in reading, he loaned me many books, including Tarzan of the Apes. He treated me well every time we visited and was friendly when they visited us. I liked him.

TGR: Everyone has read that Robert in good physical shape. Did you find this to be true? Did he exercise regularly?

Norris: I believed Robert to be in good physical condition. I think he exercised regularly. I don’t remember him being sick at any time.

TGR: In the past certain people said Robert was a loner and didn’t have many friends. We know today that is not true. Do you recall meeting any of his friends? If so, which ones?

Norris: I did not know Robert’s friends although he did speak of them often. I met his friend Lindsey Tyson whose sister was my school teacher at Cross Cut one year. I did see some of them at Robert’s residence but I never really knew them. Since Robert was considerable older than me, I was not included in his exploits with friends.

TGR: What was a memorable moment during your friendship with him?

Norris: A memorable moment was when he introduced me to several writer’s magazines and let me know that I could make money typing manuscripts for writers. It was at this time that he let me do some typing for him.

TGR: Did you read a lot of his stories — I know you typed some of the Conan tales for him. What did you think of him as a writer?

Norris: I bought some Weird Tales magazines at the used book store and read his stories. Sometimes Dr. Howard brought one by for us. We also got a copy now and then of the Fight Stories. I remember doing some typing on A Gent From Bear Creek. I really liked to read his tales.

TGR: How did you learn of his death?

Norris: My dad and I were working in the north field when an oil field pumper, Bill Bacaum, came and told us the bad news. We went to Cross Plains but there were so many people at the house we didn’t stay long. I believe the funeral was the next day.

TGR: We know the church for the double funerals was packed full. Were there a lot of people at the cemetery as well? Did Doctor Howard or anyone else offer any last words at the graveside?

Norris: I did not go to the cemetery in Brownwood. I never heard it mentioned, but since Brownwood was about forty miles from Cross Plains by the old roads I would guess that not too many attended the graveside service.

TGR: Do you have any recollections of Mrs. Howard? I know she was quite ill, but I guess she had some good days.

Norris: I remember Hester very well. Dr. Howard called her “Heck.” She usually referred to him as the Doctor, or Doc. Mrs. Howard was well liked in the community. A girl in our class was named Hester and she said she was named for Mrs. Howard. My mother liked Mrs. Howard. My parents and the Howards lived “next door” to each other in Cross Cut. This was before I was born. For some reason, Dr. Howard [Baptist] and Hester [Methodist] belonged to different churches in Cross Cut. I posted the church rolls on my Cross Cut website. Also, a picture of my 1935 graduating class.

TGR: I know you spent a lot of time with Doctor Howard after Robert passed away. What was he like?

Norris: I spent a lot of time with Dr. Howard, after the two weeks I stayed with him to help him with Robert’s closure (notifying his friends and correspondents of his death, etc.). He was a little absent-minded. I remember one time we started to Brownwood from our place and he forgot to shift from second gear on the Chevy. I finally brought it to his attention after a few miles. But generally he was very alert, was a good driver, and a very interesting talker. After I married Dr. Howard was very fond of my wife, Ella, and she fixed many meals for him when he would come by after we had dined. He was present the Sunday morning we left for San Antonio for my new job. His remark as we prepared to drive away was, “They’ll never be back.” He was right – it was the beginning of a whole new way of life for us and for many, many others.

In 2007 when Norris came to Howard Days, Leo Grin accompanied him on a tour of the Howard House, while Howard videographer Ben Friberg shot the video below. Watch and listen as Norris reminisces about Robert E. Howard. This is truly a fascinating piece of Howardian history.

One of the many people Howard came to know during his lifetime was a Lebanese gentleman who owned a dry goods store in Cross Plains. Howard mentions him in this anecdote in a letter to H.P. Lovecraft, dated August 9, 1932:

By the way, as an evidence of our democracy, it looks like this district is going to elect a full-blooded Syrian to the legislature. He runs a small dry-goods store in this town — a very short dumpy sort of fellow, brachycephalic, swarthy, curly-haired — an Elamitish type if I don’t miss my guess. He and his family are the only Orientals in this town, the Jews having pulled their freight when times got hard. A funny thing in connection with this fellow — he was born near Lebanon, in Syria, but has been in this country so long he was a stranger when his brother and he revisited the old country a few years ago. In Damascus they mistook a Moslem washing-place outside a mosque — a holy place where the Mohammedans did their ritualistic abolutions — for a public toilet, and were mobbed by a gang of maddened Islamites, who chased them for blocks, and were only pacified by money, and the assurance of the culprits’ native kinsmen that the offenders were only American barbarians whose ignorance was too abysmal to be resented.

That man’s name was Cecil Lotief and he was elected, just as Howard predicted, to the Texas House of Representatives and served two terms with distinction. As for the incident at the mosque, Cecil and his brother were devout Catholics and thus not that familiar with the customs of the Muslim faith.

Cecil Azun Lotief was born on May 18, 1888 in Jouret El Termos, Lebanon, which was then part of the Syrian Arab Republic. At the age of seventeen, he immigrated to America, arriving at the port of Galveston. He settled in Tyler and became a traveling peddler in the Piney Woods of east Texas, selling his goods to folks living in isolated homes and working in lumber camps. Taking the money he earned as peddler, he opened his own confectionary in Tyler and operated it until 1909 when he moved to Healdton, Oklahoma and opened a dry goods store with his older brother, Joe.

By 1920 he was back in Texas, living in Cisco with his brother and running a dry goods store. During the first half of that decade, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen, married Maggie Joseph of Shreveport, Louisiana, moved to Cross Plains and set up shop in another dry goods store. During this time he also became interested in public service and active in politics as a Democrat.

Cecil and his wife soon started a family and welcomed a daughter they named Estelle in 1927. In 1928 tragedy struck when their second child, a son, died just hours after his birth. In 1931 the first of two sons, Rudolph was born, with Cecil, Jr. following in 1934.

The anecdote recounted above occurred in late 1928 when Lotief and his brother Joe returned to their homeland for a visit. Jerusalem was one of the cities on Lotief’s itinerary and while there he purchased a gift for Howard – a small wooden camel inkwell. I’m certain Howard was pleased to receive the souvenir – it was a small piece of a far away land, a place Howard could only dream about visiting. On December 6, 1928, Lotief returned to the United States through New York on a cruise ship named the Belgenland. His brother was not with him and it is unknown if he remained in Syria or returned later via another port of entry.

The camel is hand carved from olive wood and rests on a circular piece of olive wood. The saddle howdah opens to reveal a small glass inkpot within. The latch is made of copper with a flower embossed on it. On the top front of the base, the word “Jerusalem” is engraved in English and in Hebrew on the base behind the camel. The camel measures a little over four inches tall and is six and one half inches long. In the early 20th century, these souvenir inkwells were made in Jerusalem, most likely by the Bezalel School of Art. You can still find them today for sale on the internet and on eBay.

In 1932, Lotief ran for a seat in the Texas State House of Representatives and won the election. He was the first Texas legislator of Lebanese ancestry. Lotief represented the 107th congressional district, which included Cross Plains and Callahan County, serving in the 43rd and 44th legislative sessions from January 10, 1933 through January 8, 1935 and January 8, 1935 through January 12, 1937, respectively. While a congressman in the Texas House, Lotief served on numerous committees including the following: Commerce and Manufactures, Highways and Motor Traffic, Municipal and Private Corporations; Oil, Gas and Mining; Revenue and Taxation, Banks and Banking and Livestock and Stock Raising. Also, a Cross Plains Business Men’s Association was founded in 1933 and a committee was appointed to work with their newly elected representative to bring Civil Works Administration funds to the town to use in the creation of new jobs.

By 1939, Lotief had moved away from Cross Plains to Rotan, in Fisher County, and opened a new dry goods store. Still active in politics, he was a delegate to the 1944 Democratic Convention, which was held in Chicago where Lotief and his fellow delegates re-nominated FDR for an unprecedented fourth term. He was also Rotan’s mayor from 1954 to 1956, and was actively involved in the Catholic Church and a proud member of the Southern Federation of Syrian-Lebanese Clubs. In 1956 he made a return visit to Syria, this time traveling by airplane. He sold his business and retired in 1965, but remained engaged in improving his community.

Maggie Lotief passed away on June 13, 1966 and shortly afterward Cecil moved to Iowa City, Iowa to live near his youngest son, Cecil, Jr., a Catholic priest. On February 17 1971 Lotief passed away at the age of 82. He is buried beside his beloved wife Maggie in the Rose Hill Cemetery located in Tyler, Texas. He was survived by his three children and five grandchildren. When Lotief died, the Texas State House of Representatives recognized Lotief’s life, public service and accomplishments with a House Special Resolution issued by members of the 62nd Legislature.

As for the camel inkwell, when Doc Howard sold his house in 1942, he gave away most of the furnishings and decorative items in the house. Doc Howard lived the two remaining years of his life in a boarding house in Ranger and worked with Dr. Pere Kuykendahl at his West Texas Hospital and Clinic. The inkwell wound up in the hands of a neighbor, Birdie Martin, who gave it to the de Camps. The de Camps donated it to the Howard House Museum and it sits in a place of honor beside what is supposed to be Howard’s Underwood No. 5 typewriter.

A tip of the sombrero to Dave Hardy for helping dig up some of the details of Loteif’s life.

This past weekend, the newly renovated Howard House Museum Gift Shop was packed to the rafters with all sorts of new books and publications. By late Saturday afternoon, the huge stacks of books had dwindled down significantly as Howard heads blew the doors off the Gift Shop and toted off a ton of Howard swag. Here is the rundown on the new items were there:

• Anniversary:  A Tribute to Glenn Lord and The Howard Collector from publisher Dennis McHaney. While not currently available, Dennis should have it back on sale on Lulu.com soon.
• The Howard Collector #19, which is being sold by Paul Herman. Contact him directly to order a copy.
• School Days in the Post Oaks and The Collected Letters of Doctor Isaac M. Howard, two new REH Foundation Press books debuted at Howard Days.  The volumes are available on the Foundation’s Lulu.com storefront in both softcover and hardcover versions.
• Footsteps of Approaching Thousands by Ann Beeler is a history of the city of Cross Plains and features a chapter on the Howards written by Rusty Burke. The book is published to commemorate the centennial of the town and is now available through Lulu.com.
• Dreams in the Fire: Stories and Poetry Inspired by Robert E. Howard was one of those books flying off the Gift Shop shelves. Edited by Mark Finn and Chris Gruber, this collection of prose and poetry from past and present REHupans was one book that nearly everybody had tucked under their arm. You can order your copy from Lulu.com.

Copies of the limited edition The Fantasy Fan hardcover were also sold at Howard Days. The publisher, Lance Thingmaker, graciously donated an autographed copy of the book to the Cross Plains Library and asked if I could bring a few copies to sell for him. I agreed and he sent me five copies –  all sold in a matter of minutes, leaving some folks who wanted a copy without one.  But fear not, Lance still has copies and you can contact him via e-mail to order direct from him.

In addition to REH: Two-Gun Raconteur #15, I also brought a large batch of two different postcards that I donated to the Gift Shop to sell. One was the full color Bran Mak Morn painting from the cover of the current issue of TGR, and the other was a colorized version of plate one from the “Beyond the Black River” portfolio, both by Michael L. Peters. These items sold very well and I will be bringing some different ones next year.

Overall, Howard Days was a huge success – Rob should have a detailed trip report up shortly. In excess of 200 people attended one or both days and $1500 was raised at the silent auction, up from last year and there were fewer items this year. If the event gets any bigger, Project Pride will need to expand the size of the venues as they were at full capacity this year.

2011 is an exciting year for Howard fans. There will be lots of history to celebrate this year at Howard Days:

The 100th birthday of the Town of Cross Plains, the 75th anniversary of the Legacy of Robert E. Howard, the 50th anniversary of Glenn Lord’s The Howard Collector, and the 25th Robert E. Howard Days, along with two very important Conan anniversaries: the 45th year since the first mass marketing of the Lancer publication of Conan the Adventurer and the 40th year since Marvel Comics’ first issue of Conan in comic book form.

Still, there is one anniversary missing from this impressive list: the 5th anniversary of the Robert E. Howard Foundation.  It was on November 2, 2006 that The Board of Directors of the Robert E Howard Foundation announced the creation of the non-profit organization to promote greater awareness and understanding of Robert E. Howard’s life and works and to honor his legacy as a skillful, prolific and successful writer of fantasy, regional, horror, action and adventure stories.

The current Board of Directors reads like a Who’s Who of Howard fandom:

Rusty Burke (Chairman/President)
Paul Herman (Secretary/Treasurer)
Bill Cavalier (Membership)
Rob Roehm (Publications)
Patrice Louinet
Fredrik Malmberg (President/CEO, Paradox Entertainment)
Glenn Lord, (Director Emeritus)

The REHF manages a website that contains archives, collections, and scholarly tools for researching Robert E. Howard. It also supports the maintenance and operation of the Howard Home in Cross Plains and the annual Howard Days celebration in June. In addition, the REH Foundation has established an annual scholarship award of $1,000 to promote and foster young talent.

One of its stated missions is to make available all the works of Robert E. Howard. In order to do this and to promote the study and enjoyment of his writings, the Foundation has published an impressive list of books:

•  A Rhyme of Salem Town and Other Poems
• The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard, Volumes 1 through 3
• The Last of the Trunk
• The Collected Poetry of Robert E. Howard (Sold Out)
• The Wordbook: An Index Guide to the Poetry of REH
• The Collected Drawings of Robert E. Howard
• Sentiment: An Olio of Rarer Works
• The Brownwood Connection: A Guide for Robert E. Howard Fans
• The Early Adventures of El Borak
• Tales of Weird Menace
• Steve Harrison’s Casebook
• “So Far the Poet”
• School Days in the Post Oaks
• The Collected Letters of Dr. Isaac M. Howard

Fourteen books plus a quarterly newsletter! An incredible amount of information related to Robert E. Howard. To recognize the efforts of scholars and writers, the REHF holds annual awards in categories that honor the outstanding achievements in books, articles and anthologies for the previous year.

Thanks to the vision and hard work of the Board of Directors, all of whom are volunteers, the Robert E. Howard Foundation has enriched the lives of all who value and enjoy REH’s stories, articles and poems.

Happy Anniversary Robert E. Howard Foundation!

The weather in West Texas brings its share of violent thunderstorms and high winds as Howard Heads can attest to.  Seems like every four or five years violent weather pays Cross Plains a visit during Howard Days. The weather also swings to the other extreme, with long periods of drought, coupled with high winds and low humidly, which can lead to grass fires when a spark or carelessly discarded cigarette ignites the dried vegetation.

This was case on December 27, 2005 when a massive wildfire swept through the small town, destroying over 100 homes and resulting in the deaths of two of its citizens.  The Howard House was nearly a casualty as well if not the efforts of a neighbor who kept the small frame house wet with a water hose. The fire got so close it singed the grass surrounding the house. The valiant effort of this gentleman, other citizens, the Cross Plains Volunteer Fire Department and volunteers from across the county saved many a structure and prevented a greater loss of life.

This past December was the fifth anniversary of the fire and similar weather conditions were present when the citizens paused to reflect on the disaster for a local television station. And the same wildfire conditions exist today — Callahan County firefighters are currently fighting several grass fires as noted in this March 17 story from the Abilene Reporter-News:

Forest Service, VFD’s battling Callahan County wildfires
By Celinda Emison
March 17, 2011

Fire fighters are battling several wildfires that started overnight in Callahan County.

The first fire sparked around 11:45 p.m. south of Putnam, according to officials at the Callahan County Sheriff’s Department. Fires were reported on FM 880, FM 3265 and County Road 482, officials said.

The Texas Forest Service is assisting with the three fires, cumulatively dubbed the “880 Complex” fire. No structures are threatened at this time, officials said.

“Volunteer fire departments contacted us at 2:30 a.m. for assistance,” said Marq Webb, public information officer for the Texas Forest Service.

Volunteer departments from Putnam, Cottonwood, Cross Plains, Baird, Cisco and Rising Star have been on the scene along with TFS personnel and equipment.

“The winds are pretty bad, this is going to create difficulty in suppression efforts,” Webb said. “We just want to remind everybody that today is not a day to be doing anything with fire.”

So the people of Cross Plains and Callahan County must remain ever vigilant and make every effort to prevent another disastrous wildfire. The December 2005 fire was one that the Texas Forest Service and Texas A&M took note of as they did an in-depth study of the event, which is available online.

As a reminder that the dry conditions can occur all year round, the Howard Days 2011 page at the REHupa website has a statement regarding the rules for smoking at Caddo Peak. Common sense dictates this advice should be followed at all the outdoor events during the celebration as well.

Cross Plains is a very resilient community, having made an amazing comeback from the brink of disaster. Even though visible scars of the fire remain, the city has healed, rebuilt and is a stronger community for having survived the fire. Indeed, Howard’s hometown has a lot to celebrate this year — a successful comeback from the devastating wildfire and the centennial of its birth.

Bill Cavalier has posted a preliminary schedule for Howard Days at the REHupa website, along with other information you’ll need if you plan to attend.  The webpage will be updated with additional details and changes in the coming months, so make sure you check in from time to time. Here is the summary schedule — a more detailed version is at the REHupa website.

2011 Howard Days Schedule
(Summary Version)

Friday June 10

8:30 – 9 am: Coffee and donuts at the Pavilion, compliments of Project Pride

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public.

9 am – 4 pm: REH Postal Cancellation at Cross Plains Post Office

9 am – 11 am: “Trailer” Tour of Cross Plains

10 am – 5 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open

11:00: PANEL: Howard Days History

Noon: Lunch hosted by Project Pride. Donations Welcome.

11:00 am to 4 pm: Pavilion available for REH items Swap Meet

1:00 pm: PANEL: History of REH fanzines

2:15 pm: PANEL: Howard’s Historicals

3:30 pm: PANEL: Conan Movie Trailers

5:30 – 6:30: Silent Auction items available for viewing & bidding at Banquet site

6:30: Robert E. Howard Celebration Banquet & Silent Auction at the Cross Plains Community Center

Following the Banquet & Silent Auction: The Second Annual Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards at the Cross Plains Community Center. Afterward there will be some extemporaneous REH Poetry Reading at the Pavilion.

Saturday June 11

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public.

9 am – 4 pm: BARBARIAN FESTIVAL in the large lot North of the Dollar Store on Main St.

10 am – 3 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open

10 am PANEL: To Be Announced

Noon to 4 pm: Pavilion available for REH items Swap Meet

Lunch & Festival Activities at your leisure during the day

1:00 pm PANEL: Damon Sasser/Dennis McHaney

2:15 pm PANEL: REH Historical Poetry

3:30 pm PANEL: What’s Up with REH? at the Pavilion

5 pm: Sunset BBQ at the Caddo Peak Ranch

The Robert E. Howard Foundation will host a Legacy Circle Members Luncheon 11:30 am Saturday at Jean’s Feed Barn.

The Robert E. Howard grave site: A visit to the Howard grave site at the Greenleaf Cemetery in Brownwood is not an “official” activity of REH Days. Directions are available at the Howard House, as are directions to Novalyne Price Ellis’ grave site between Brownwood and Bangs.

It was 105 years ago today that Hester Ervin Howard gave birth to a son, Robert Ervin Howard in the small town of Peaster, Texas.  Dr. Howard had moved Hester from the rural community of Dark Valley, located in nearby Palo Pinto County to the larger town to give birth. 

Located in Parker County, the community is situated nine miles northwest of the county seat of Weatherford. H. H. Peaster, the town’s namesake, moved from Georgia to Texas in the 1870s, bought land and promptly built a house. Originally called Freemont, the community underwent a change of name (to Peasterville) in the mid 1880s. Sometime later the “ville” suffix was dropped. The population reached 100 in the 1890s, growing to 300 residents in the mid 1920s. The Great Depression left Peaster with just a third of the 1920s population.

Dr. J. A. Williams delivered Robert and completed his official birth record, making an error regarding the date. Dr. Williams entered the date as January 24, 1906 instead of January 22, 1906. I posted a detailed account on this discrepecy last January.

A group of die-hard Howard fans will trek to Cross Plains today to celebrate Howard’s birth. There will be cake and ice cream at the Howard House, and showings of the Solomon Kane movie and the “Pigeons from Hell” Thriller episode at the Cross Plains Public Library. While many of us won’t make it, we can nonetheless remember his birthday with a toast to his life and a reading of our favorite Howard yarn.

Happy Birthday, Two-Gun!

Update: James Reasoner, one of the attendees at yesterday’s soirée  in Cross Plains, posted a report on the event at his Rough Edges blog.

With the start of the new year, the folks that organize the annual Howard Days each June are already kicking it into high gear. Indy Cavalier just posted an early update over at the REHupa blog. With all the milestones this year, the theme will be “Howard History” — after all, there are no less than four anniversaries devoted to commemorate and celebrate. As for this year’s Guests of Honor, here is a blurb from Indy’s post:

[W]e’ve chosen two Legendary REH publishers to be our Co-Guests of Honor this year: Damon Sasser and Dennis McHaney. Those of you familiar with Howard Fandom will of course recognize Damon and Dennis and we’re happy to have them at Howard Days to talk and be available to their legions of fans. Damon is the publisher of REH: Two-Gun Raconteur (“The Definitive Howard Fanzine”) and runs the REH: TGR blog, and Dennis’ The Howard Review is his ultimate claim to fame (among others) in a nearly 40 year career as a REH publisher. Dennis also runs the biggest REH message board at rehinnercircle.com.

Yes you read it right, I’ll be a Guest of Honor this year along with my compadre Dennis McHaney. I must admit I was surprised and honored to be asked, especially this year — a year of many Howardian milestones. Needless to say, I’m already looking forward to June and all the Howard Days festivities and events.

One of my favorite events is the Silent Auction, held every year at the Friday night Banquet and benefiting Project Pride. Even though Howard Days is months away, it is not too early to start donating Howard and Howard-related items to the Auction. I imagine just about every Howard fan has some duplicates in their collections, and sending them to the Silent Auction is a great way to help out the fine folks of Project Pride and clear out those excess books, magazines, fanzines, posters, artwork and other items you’ve acquired but really don’t need anymore. Box that stuff up today and send it to: Project Pride, P. O. Box 534, Cross Plains, TX 76443.

One of the founders of Project Pride, Margaret McNeel is celebrating her 80th birthday today with a party at the Baptist Church in Cross Plains. Margaret was one of the driving forces in Project Pride for years. While not out in the forefront like some of the other members, Margaret worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the scheduled events went off without a hitch. Among the many tasks she performed were scheduling the docents for the Howard House tours and organizing the banquet. Her important contributions can’t be measured and every Howard fan owes her a debt of gratitude for her years of dedication and hard work.

Today she will celebrate this birthday milestone surrounded by friends and family, and no doubt a few REHupans will there as well to sing her praises. I hope you all will join me in wishing Margaret a Happy Birthday, with many more to come.

For those who may not know, Project Pride is a community organization in Cross Plains, Texas, that bought and restored the Robert E. Howard home with financial support from Howard’s fans around the world (and from the late Alla Ray Morris, who inherited the rights to Howard’s works). They operate the house as a museum in Howard’s memory, and Project Pride members love the opportunity to show it off for visitors. Robert’s room is particularly well done, complete with an Underwood typewriter like the one he used. The house is not open on a regular basis, so it is best to make arrangements to take a tour in advance by e-mailing or calling the people at Project Pride.

Every June, Project Pride, the City of Cross Plains, REHupa and The Robert E. Howard Foundation sponsor and host Howard Days, a two day event during which a special commemorative cancellation is available at the Cross Plains Post Office, t-shirts, books, posters and other merchandise is sold in the museum’s Gift Shop and tours of the home are available. Also, the Cross Plains Public Library puts on display some of Howard’s original manuscripts, along with pulps and books featuring his writings. It’s a great way for Howard fans of all ages to get to know more about Howard and the environment in which he lived.

While much has been done in the 22 years since Project Pride bought the house, a lot remains to be done, and Cross Plains is not a wealthy community. Any support from Howard fans — either through joining Project Pride, or through donations earmarked for the Howard Home — helps with the ongoing efforts to preserve Howard’s memory in his hometown.

For more information or to arrange for a visit, e-mail either Era Lee Hanke or Arlene Stephenson, or call 254-725-6562 or 254-725-4993.

Anyone can support Project Pride by becoming member of the organization. Membership is $3.00 per year for individuals or $5.00 for a family. Membership fees and other donations may be mailed to: Project Pride, P.O. Box 534, Cross Plains, TX 76443.